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TE Rico Gathers, Free Agent (1 Viewer)

Faust

Faust

MVP
Rico Gathers: 'You're about to bring havoc to the NFL'

Before longtime NFL tight ends coach Mike Pope stepped away from football earlier this year, he gave Cowboys second-year tight end Rico Gathers some high praise.

Pope, a four-time Super Bowl champion, spent the last three seasons in Dallas. He worked for the New York Giants before that for 23 years. Pope also made stops in Cincinnati, New England and Washington.

So what was his message to Gathers?

"You're about to bring havoc to the NFL because there are no guys out there that are as tough as you," the former Baylor basketball star recently told SportsDay. "There are no guys out there that work harder than you. You got a work ethic that the NFL is really lacking. As long as you keep that work ethic up you're going to be great, you're going to be a Pro Bowl tight end, you're going to be a great tight end."

Gathers, a sixth-round pick by the Cowboys last year, said those comments were a confidence-booster.

"When you got a guy like that who has worked with multiple tight ends, from Jeremy Shockey to Jason Witten to Martellus Bennett, just being around tight ends like that, he's telling you stuff like that, that just really raises your confidence level and enables you to want to work even harder because you want to see that happen one day," Gathers said. "I can't wait to get back to the basics with my teammates and start working toward trying to do something great in Dallas."

After not playing football for nearly a decade, the 6-6, 290-pound Gathers is still considered somewhat of a raw prospect. He was on the Cowboys practice squad all of last season but is hoping to contribute on the 53-man roster this year.

"Right now I'm just trying to fine-tune my skill," Gathers said. "That's the only thing that's really lacking. The physical part, that's always going to be the easy part, but the skill of the game, being able to get in and out of your routes and follow the techniques on your blocking, that's really the main focus right now."

Along with working out at The Star this offseason, Gathers said he has spent time training with Pro Bowl Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and former Baylor standout and current Browns wide receiver Corey Coleman.
 

Here are a few other highlights from the interview with Gathers:
On his goals for the upcoming season:

"Just to be reliable, being a viable option for the offense when the time presents itself. Just continue to get better. It's a marathon, not a race. You got to take it one day at a time. You're not going to become a Hall of Famer overnight. It's a process."

On Jason Witten recently signing a four-year contract extension:

"That's great. That means I get to continue learning from a guy like him as long as he wants to play. I'm pretty sure whenever he does decide to retire I'm still going to learn from him. He's going to be one of those guys who is always in my ear about things and coaching me up. I look at him as a mentor, as a big brother to me. I can't wait to start working towards being the next guy up after him."

On how much of a better blocker Rico Gathers is today than the day after he got drafted:

"A hundred times better. Rico Gathers the day after he got drafted didn't have any technique, was just a big body, a big specimen that was looking to groom himself into something great. But Rico Gathers today is a more confident Rico going forward. I'm ready to just embrace everything that the season, the workouts, the playbook, everything the coaches have to throw at me."
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Cowboys second-year TE Rico Gathers says he feels his game is "a thousand times better" than during his rookie offseason.
A power forward at Baylor, Gathers flashed during his rookie preseason and then on the scout-team offense with Tony Romo in late-season practices. Inside the locker room, 6-foot-6, 290-pound Gathers has earned the nickname "Zeus," while ex-TEs coach Mike Pope reportedly told Gathers he would "one day become a Pro Bowl tight end." As Jason Witten is now 35 years old, Gathers is a deep Dynasty league prospect worth monitoring.

 
 
Source: Dallas Morning News 
May 12 - 10:40 PM
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Unless Witten gets injured, he will be a 2nd string this season at best.  He will be Cowboys property at least through 2018 so his upside may be far in the future

 
Has there ever been a relevant (call it top 5 for a single season) TE that has weighed 290 pounds?  Just seems entirely too big, no?

 
Rico Gathers looking to become more than a legend for the Cowboys

Excerpt:

He played in just 16 preseason snaps a year ago as he tried to make the transition from Baylor power forward to Cowboys tight end, catching one pass for 8 yards. Yet the talk then was him becoming the next 

Jimmy Grahamor another successful basketball player-turned-tight end.


Nobody saw him practice in public as he spent the year on the practice squad, but the whispers from those who did see him practice talked about him dominating the Cowboys' defense with Tony Romo running the scout team.

And there have been some social media missives from Gathers himself, like this one from the basketball court this week, running a pick-and-roll with Ezekiel Elliott and throwing down a monstrous dunk.

At 6-foot-7 and 281 pounds, imagine what he can do on a football field, the thinking goes, with that type of athleticism and power, now that he actually knows what to do.

“When you know what you’re doing and you’ve got your body in football shape, it’s amazing what you can do,” offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. “That’s the biggest difference from where he was a year ago to now. We expect him to just improve daily and give us that big target in the passing game, and a really big guy that I think will be able to match up good in the run game. He’s what you look for in a tight end when it comes to the physical part. The mental part of it, the years he’s missed playing the game, that’s coming with the reps he’s getting.”

The Cowboys ask a lot of their tight ends. Besides the quarterback, they need to know more than anybody else because of their involvement in the running game and the passing game. Gathers had not played football since junior high when the Cowboys drafted him in the sixth round last spring. They had to teach him the most basic fundamentals.

“Do I remember last year’s rookie minicamp? A little bit, but honestly I feel like I’m a thousand times better than I was then, just mindset-wise,” Gathers said. “That was like a baby walking into a business office trying to run a business. It’s just not going to happen. Now I actually feel like I’m ready for everything they throw at me this year.”

He wasn’t ready last year. How could he be considering his time away from the game? But Jerry Jones dropped hints at what Gathers was able to do in practice. Running routes with a script laying out everything to do is far different than doing it in a game, but Gathers said Romo inspired confidence.

“Having a guy like Tony Romo in your corner, believing in you, seeing your potential and maximizing it during that time we had? That was another surreal moment, playing with No. 9, man,” Gathers said. “Then going back and watching some of the film and going back to some of the things he’d tell me, he’d keep me after practice and work on certain routes. I couldn’t ask for a better situation than having him work with me and just taking the time to mold me into somewhat of a basic tight end.”

Sitting next to Jason Witten, Gathers said he learned by osmosis.

“I’d be sitting next to him in our coaching sessions and I see him jotting down notes, OK, I’ve got to jot that down, too,” Gathers said.

If the Cowboys were reluctant to give Gathers much work last year, they aren’t this year. Witten is the unquestioned leader of the group, but Geoff Swaim and James Hanna, the top backups the past few years, will be held out until training camp as they recover from foot (Swaim) and knee (Hanna) injuries.

That means Gathers is the No. 2 tight end.

“When we go through our ‘fastball’ periods and I take the second tight end reps, that right there is a confidence builder because they didn’t let me do any of that last year,” Gathers said. “That was just like, ‘OK, watch.’ So now I’m actually getting in there and taking those reps and doing it and not making mistakes and showing that I’m confident in myself and I know what I’m doing. That gives me confidence each and every day. When that period comes right now, hey, I’m the No. 2 tight end, and I want it to stay that way.”
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He looked like he had a burst and gear that Mr. Witten doesn't and he runs like he's mad.

Tex

 
The Cowboys want to get a long look at second-year TE Rico Gathers this summer.

"He's going to play a lot of snaps over the next four weeks," coach Jason Garrett said. A basketball player who didn't play a single down of football at Baylor, Gathers redshirted as a rookie. He flashed in last week's Hall-of-Fame game, posting a 3/59/1 line. His touchdown was an acrobatic 26-yard grab. Gathers won't make a 2017 fantasy impact, but is a name to file away in Dynasty leagues.

Source: David Helman on Twitter 

Aug 8 - 4:11 PM
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Cowboys TE Rico Gathers caught 4-of-6 targets for 47 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's preseason game.

It was the converted basketball player's second straight preseason game with a score. He's now up to 7/106/2 on the summer, and increasingly looking like someone who is going to force himself onto the 53-man roster. Gathers doesn't have a legitimate 2017 path to re-draft value behind Jason Witten, but is absolutely someone who needs to be scooped up in Dynasty leagues.
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Added him this morning, might not do much this year but with zeke suspended and not much for pass catchers outside dez and Beasley Dallas could use some more play makers and he has a much better chance of doing that then witten

 
The lid has been blown clean off of the idea of him making the PS and making the 53 is a foregone conclusion.  Would love to know the source of that quote.

 
Cowboys TE Rico Gathers has been getting first-team reps with the red zone offense in 7-on-7 drills.

There are a lot of qualifiers there, but it's still notable. The converted basketball player has lit up the Cowboys' first two preseason games, posting a 7/106/2 line. He's been a mismatch. The Dynasty league stash is going to make the Cowboys' 53-man roster. He'll need to prove his worth as a blocker and special teamer to crack the 46-man roster on Sundays.

Source: Dallas Morning News 

Aug 14 - 2:37 PM
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brewer said:
Well since he's not a rookie, he hasn't.
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A lot of rookie drafts are rookie/FA drafts, so it is a slightly valid question. That said, I haven't seen him go in any (though mine were pre-hype). I've been able to get him as a waiver or min bid auction add everywhere.

 
mcintyre1 said:
A lot of rookie drafts are rookie/FA drafts, so it is a slightly valid question. That said, I haven't seen him go in any (though mine were pre-hype). I've been able to get him as a waiver or min bid auction add everywhere.
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Sorry if that sounded dismissive, didn't mean it that way.  All of the leagues I am involved in, you have to be a rookie to be drafted in the rookie draft.

 
He's definitely interesting to watch. He got snatched off FA in my league but I don't have anyone on my team I was comfortable dropping for him.

 
tombonneau said:
Where has this guy been going in rookie drafts?
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I suspect Gathers is being drafted in most recent "rookie drafts".  This is an extremely deep draft class of TEs, so that diminishes his value some.  I would be interested to see where he has gone recently in "rookie drafts" as well.

I think Gathers is still well behind the top tier of rookies (Howard, Njoku and Engram).  As a dynasty prospect, I have Gathers in the mix with the next tier (which includes the likes of Everett, Sheheen and Smith).  I think he still has a ways to go, and he won't be challenging Witten for playing time any time soon, but his skillset is definitely intriguing.

 
tombonneau said:
Where has this guy been going in rookie drafts?
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The hype just started so it's unlikely that he was drafted. Ask this question in about a month and you might get an answer OR the correct question is Where would you draft/rank him in Rookie drafts?

Now being a Cowboys fan and living in Cowboy Country we've been hearing a lot about him since he was drafted. Even though we have not seen him play until this year, the coaches and players have been gloating about him since last year. I never picked him up because it was hard to gauge if it was just hype or if the hype matched the player now we see the hype matches the player. He won't do much this year but he is obviously their future and there's something there so now is the time to grab him if you have not already.

Personally I'd put him in the mix with the top 3. I plan to grab Engram at the end of the 1st and grab Rico at the top of the 2nd. I don't need either to start this year so it's not crucial for me to find a starter I believe Engram will be.

Tex

 
socrates said:
I suspect Gathers is being drafted in most recent "rookie drafts".  This is an extremely deep draft class of TEs, so that diminishes his value some.  I would be interested to see where he has gone recently in "rookie drafts" as well.

I think Gathers is still well behind the top tier of rookies (Howard, Njoku and Engram).  As a dynasty prospect, I have Gathers in the mix with the next tier (which includes the likes of Everett, Sheheen and Smith).  I think he still has a ways to go, and he won't be challenging Witten for playing time any time soon, but his skillset is definitely intriguing.
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I agree with some of what you're saying but I believe Witten is 35 if he finish out this year he will be the 3rd oldest at his position in NFL history. Lol! Not sure how long he will be around, the old stallion has never been the fastest TE and I love him to death but he's getting slower and slower ever year. 

Tex

 
My draft ended a couple days after his first preseason game. He wasn't drafted. Our waivers ran yesterday and I was the only one who put in a bid.  We even have two Cowboys homers.  I was surprised. 

 
Hankmoody said:
I'd have him #2 TE in a rookie/FA draft behind Engram and be willing to use a late 1st on him. 
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Wow that high? I'm hoping to get him in the early fourth but might have to bump to early third. 

And yes thanks everyone I know he's not a rookie :thumbup:  but I assumed he was on the wire in most leagues and available for drafts. 

 
tombonneau said:
Wow that high? I'm hoping to get him in the early fourth but might have to bump to early third. 

And yes thanks everyone I know he's not a rookie :thumbup:  but I assumed he was on the wire in most leagues and available for drafts. 
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Early 3rd is probably too rich for me, although it is not terribly overpriced. I think my strategy would be to let someone else draft him and wait for that owner to grow impatient if Gathers fails to produce much this season. 

 
tombonneau said:
Wow that high? I'm hoping to get him in the early fourth but might have to bump to early third. 

And yes thanks everyone I know he's not a rookie :thumbup:  but I assumed he was on the wire in most leagues and available for drafts. 
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Yes, but being willing doesn't mean I would necessarily pull the trigger.  I would try to "read the room" and determine if I could get him with a later pick.  Maybe trade down and pick up more value.  And of course who else is gone and who has "fallen" matters - Kamara, Zones, Hunt - all guys that I could take over him in that late 1st.  I also play in mostly 16 man leagues so late 1st means a little less to me in that context.

But if I had a draft where I had 1.14 and no other picks, I wouldn't feel bad at all about drafting him there if it fit the league (scoring, lineups, etc).  Lots of people are putting Njoku there or higher, and Gathers is a mirror image of him except we've now seen more from Gathers on a football field than we have of Njoku.

 
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Fantasy wise I think it's a year early. He'll get used on obvious passing downs and in the redZone from time to time but "Gold Jacket Witt" ain't coming off the field voluntarily. Next year could be different. 

 
STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:
Fantasy wise I think it's a year early. He'll get used on obvious passing downs and in the redZone from time to time but "Gold Jacket Witt" ain't coming off the field voluntarily. Next year could be different. 
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Of course, we are talking dyno here though. This guy was on my radar even before his preseason open, I'm not sure why exactly. There must have been some coverage last year that filtered into my brain. We are all looking for the next great te, and a lot of them seem to play hoops before football (gates, graham, tony g). Rico seems to fit the bill and could end up as the preferred target in a couple years when dez is fading and witten has left. Low cost if you have the space. 

 
Hankmoody said:
Yes, but being willing doesn't mean I would necessarily pull the trigger.  I would try to "read the room" and determine if I could get him with a later pick.  Maybe trade down and pick up more value.  And of course who else is gone and who has "fallen" matters - Kamara, Jones, Hunt - all guys that I could take over him in that late 1st.  I also play in mostly 16 man leagues so late 1st means a little less to me in that context.

But if I had a draft where I had 1.14 and no other picks, I wouldn't feel bad at all about drafting him there if it fit the league (scoring, lineups, etc).  Lots of people are putting Njoku there or higher, and Gathers is a mirror image of him except we've now seen more from Gathers on a football field than we have of Njoku.
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Well, he just went 2.13 in 14-team .5ppr. I would have taken him at 3.2. 

 
tombonneau said:
Well, he just went 2.13 in 14-team .5ppr. I would have taken him at 3.2. 
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Not sure what picks you had before that, but I'm probably not waiting that long for him.  By the time you get to mid-2nd with the 20th or so pick I'm trading up or trading a player/future pick for him.  I just re-did my rankings very quickly and have him at 15.  There are a couple of guys still on that list that I think would be no-brainers for other owners to draft so I might trade down a spot or two from there, but I think I'm just taking him at 15 because the offers to move down are usually pennies.  It just sucks too much to watch a guy you really had pegged sit on someone else's roster. 

 
Cowboys TE Rico Gathers (concussion) has been ruled out for Saturday's preseason game against the Raiders.

Gathers remains in the concussion protocol. He's been a pleasant surprise this preseason, nabbing seven catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns. The former Baylor power forward didn't see the field as a rookie.

Source: Brandon George on Twitter
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